Tale Of Two Swordmasters
by Grafian
Summary: In an ever more unfulfilling live, a certain Black Swordsman is intrigued with the Absolute Sword. A tale of the two most powerful swordmasters of the virtual world, growing closer as they face their individual challenges together. My take on an alternate Mother's Rosario Arc and onward, pairing Kirito and Yuuki. What if Kirito didn't leave Yuuki alone after their first duel?


**Author's Note:** Hey folks! Another story idea I had. I know Kirito/Yuuki pairings aren't too uncommon, but I hope you'll stick around long enough to see me take this in a fresh direction :) As always, feel free to leave a review or message with story ideas, comments, suggestions, etc!

* * *

His life had become a repetitive slump lately. School, homework, ALO, sleep, rinse, repeat. Even his dates with Asuna seemed... Empty. Their time together had seemed empty for a while now, if he was being honest. Meeting up in Real Life was always difficult, seeing how her mother seemed to hate even the thought of her daughter dating a lowly peasant such as himself. While her father was actually quite nice to him, he clearly wasn't in charge of the Yuuki household...

Even in ALO, most of what he did was a little repetitive grinding to spend some time with his friends. The Boss Fights were fun, but not as exhilarating as they could have been... Mainly due to being vastly overpowered for them. It all felt empty. Instead of actually playing the game, he genuinely really only played as much as he did to spend time with Yui. This morning had been no different. The start of Christmas break and surprise, Asuna was pulled away by her family to one of the few places left without wifi or cell signal. He had been napping with Yui in their log cabin on Floor 22 of New Aincrad, when Liz, Silica and Leafa woke him up, excited looks in their eyes.

Liz and Leafa had dueled with a mysterious new player, and were soundly defeated. Silica had only dared to watch and knew enough not to try herself... Even though Liz wasn't a combat-oriented player, he knew better than to underestimate her. She was probably still one of the top fifty fighters in ALO at the moment. And his sister Leafa, well... She was widely known as one of the best Sylph players around. His interest a little piqued, he was glad to have found something interesting to do with his time. Not that he ever really minded hanging out with his friends. He was a little surprised when Zekken, the Absolute Sword, had turned out to be a young girl, maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. Her purple hair was gently waving behind her as she walked around the clearing, happily asking "Any more challengers? Come on... I had more yesterday!". With a grin, he had stepped forward.

Their duel had been intense, but something stood out to Kirito from the start. The look in his opponent's crimson eyes. Sure, part of her was enjoying the thrill of a good duel, and from what he could tell from the spectators, she hadn't found many worthy ones among them. But there was something else. A cold determination, a desperate need to find a strong opponent. Her movements and technique were flawless. Her speed rivaled Asuna's, and he had been overwhelmed by it, at first. Having dueled Asuna many times over, he quickly managed to steel himself and adapt. Still though, as the two of them both sped up and traded strike after strike, Sword Skill after Sword Skill... Neither of them managed to connect a direct hit.

Halfway through their duel, he had intended to jump a few paces back and quickly equip his second sword, when he realized something. The purple haired, red eyed girl her movements were... Nearly impossible. The elegant dance that all her strikes seemed to be a part of. Every action she made was a direct reaction to his, and yet she never fell out of step or needed to steady herself. All her movements fluidly followed each other. It felt more as if she was a product of the full-dive experience itself. The Medicuboid... When they locked blades again, he had quietly asked her whether she was a 'permanent resident' here.

There was clear shock in her eyes, and for a moment, nothing but disappointment. It had unsettled him, if also confirmed his suspicion. But he hadn't meant it as an insult or anything, he had just been curious. Jumping back to try and take a moment to explain why he said it, he was caught off guard by her Sonic Leap. A charge type Sword Skill that shot through the small dust cloud that had formed in the center of the dueling clearing and caught him square in the chest. A mere second later, the duel's timer rung. That had been the only direct damage either of them had sustained during the duel, leaving 'Zekken' ('Absolute Sword') as the still undefeated champion of this island. The spectators were loudly arguing over whether this was the 38th or 39th consecutive victory.

Even though his friends seemed to be in shock, he didn't really mind. He was just inspecting his opponent's face. All traces of shock and that unsettling fear were gone, and replaced again by her previous overjoyed grin. Even though the both of them were heavily panting from the intense duel. She walked over to him and showed him a V (for Victory) sign with her fingers as she chuckled "Good fight! Probably my best challenger so far". He couldn't do much else but chuckle sheepishly and replying with "Yeah, good fight yourself! Been a while...". As she turned around to find another challenger, however, he surprised himself by saying "I wouldn't mind dueling you again, Zekken-san. Mind adding me as a friend?".

She had turned back to him with a surprised and... slightly worried face. She seemed to carefully inspect his expression for a few moments, before her skeptical look made way for her wide grin again as she teasingly chuckled "Alright then! If you like getting beaten, who am I to stop you?". With a soft sigh he shook his head as he opened his menu and sent a friend request her way. "Ki-ri-to... huh, odd name" she chuckled. "I suppose if we're going to be friends, feel free to just call me Yuuki!" she added, before darting off again.

Not long after the fight, he had settled down against his favourite tree, next to the lake near his log cabin. Yui was sitting next to him, her head buried in his armpit as his arm was slung across her. Cute, soft snores emanated from underneath her raven hair as he absentmindedly stroked it. Normally he'd fall asleep almost instantly. The weather of Floor 22 was as beautiful as ever, with just a faint breeze and a few beams of warm, artificial sunlight streaming through the leaf cover.

His mind kept wandering back to that morning's duel. Why had she been so disappointed at his question...? Oh. Only his sleeping daughter prevented him from face palming his head through the tree behind him. If she was using the Medicuboid, she probably had some terrible disease. And anything related to that should not have been mentioned in the middle of a duel without even properly knowing someone. Thinking about it, anyone would probably have assumed he had been trying to unsettle her during the fight, using something as horrible as that as a means of getting an edge over her...

Silently groaning he leaned back a little more as sleep slowly claimed him. It wasn't until hours later, when he heard a sweet voice laugh "Daddy! It's almost dinner time. You should hurry up and log out before Aunt Leafa gets mad at you...".

Later that night he logged in to ALO again. Having intended to spend some more time with Yui, he was a little surprised to see his daughter wasn't anywhere around the cabin. Checking his friend list, he noticed Liz, Sinon and Silica were online. 'Oh right, Yui was going rare ingot hunting with them tonight...'. With a sigh he slumped down in his comfortable rocking chair. Looking at his still opened friend list, he didn't see anyone particularly interesting online.

But then a rather new addition to the list stood out. 'Yuuki'. A little curious, he clicked on her name and her status indicated she was still on Floor 24. The floor where she held her duels. Was she still fighting? He really did want to apologize to the girl for what he said, and explain that he hadn't meant it in any bad way. But something like that is best done in person. And in private, probably. Come to think of it, he hadn't been challenged like that in a duel in a long time... While he felt confident in his abilities, he had to admit they were fairly equally matched until he slipped up...

* * *

Apart from a few trips to a restaurant on the same floor, Yuuki had spent the entire day dueling. Just like the three days before. And yet none really matched up to her. Except for him. He had seemed maybe a year or two older than her, and at first she had expected him to be another quick match. Although he didn't approach her with the same, overconfident look most of the other men had had when they realized 'Zekken' was a girl. It's not like she had come up with that name herself! Although, chuckling to herself, she had to admit she liked it...

That strange Spriggan 'Kirito' had just seemed calm. Strangely calm, like he didn't really care what he was doing. Some of the members of the crowd had started muttering something about whether he was 'the Black Swordsman'. A name she hadn't heard before. A little frustrated she had intended to finish the match quickly. After only three of her strikes, however, the black haired boy had given her a curious look. His onyx coloured eyes gleaming with a sudden interest and one eyebrow slightly raised. As if he was waking up. Almost immediately, she had found herself on the defensive. She had to push herself to keep up, but she managed to push him back several times.

But what he whispered to her in the middle of their fight had shaken her a little. How could he have known? Did he somehow know who she was? Losing interest in the fight, and just wanting it over with, she had charged him from inside the dust cloud that had sprung up as he jumped back. To her surprise, she actually managed to connect a clean strike. But something felt... off. And thinking back on it now, he hadn't even had his guard up, nor had he tried to parry or dodge. He had dodged faster strikes during the fight, so something was on his mind too? Or had he even held back intentionally...?

When he sent her a friend request she wasn't sure what to think. She had intended to never see him or talk to him again. Sure, she had been looking for a strong fighter to help her and her guild out, but not one who knew her secret. The last thing she needed was pity. Nothing in his face seemed to suggest he meant anything bad by it, though... So she had hesitantly accepted his request. A sparring partner that challenged her might be fun, right? A small smile formed on the black haired boy's lips when she did. Almost as if he had been genuinely relieved that she wanted to be friends with him. It was all in all, a very confusing duel and aftermath for her. She wasn't exactly sure why she had started blushing when he seemed so happy, but she had made sure to quickly turn around and hide her reddened face by walking off.

Now, relaxing among the branches of the tree she was dueling next to, she couldn't help but wonder about Kirito. He had been the most natural fighter she had encountered. Dancing around her strikes, parrying and countering with practiced precision. Another reason why she was sitting high up among the leaves and branches was that she had proclaimed to duel and defeat anyone willing to. Her 'legend' had grown a little out of control and now there were legions of unskilled players demanding duels. So exhausting... So here she was, hiding. Around that time, she heard the familiar 'Ping!'-notification sound signifying a newly received message.

Wondering who that could be from, she opened her menu and navigated to her friend list. Her hand hovered for a moment when she saw the sender's name. 'Kirito'. Curious, and a little more nervous than she cared to admit, she opened it.

'Hey Yuuki-san, interested in a rematch yet?'. A short and clear message. Finally seeing a respite from the cannon fodder that kept annoying her, she quickly replied 'Hmm, if you're up for it! Although it's pretty crowded here...'.

Only a few seconds passed before she got an answer. 'Then meet me at Corral on Floor 22? I'm not really one for crowds... Should be quiet enough here, and the place I generally duel at is pretty much deserted any time'.

She quickly replied in the affirmative with a big grin plastered across her face and moved to her inventory tab. She cursed a little under her breath about how excited she found herself to be as she pulled out a teleport crystal and softly (to not give away her hidden position or destination) said "Teleport Corral!".

* * *

It took him a few minutes to fly over to Corral from where he was. As he got closer to the town, a purple blur shot up into the sky and hovered for a little, before it rushed towards him. As the shape got closer, he was able to identify it as Yuuki. Although... Why was she flying so... fast? Even though he had already been slowing down to meet her halfway, she kept shooting forward. Ducking in mid air to barely avoid her, he heard her teasingly laugh as she passed above him at breakneck speed and circled to a stop behind him "Hiya! You ready?".

He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm while he did his best to calm his heart. "Excited, huh? Well follow me then, wouldn't want to attract the few players here by dueling right next to the town".

As they landed next to the lake close to his cabin, he stopped for a moment to admire the setting sun. As Yuuki landed next to him he heard her mutter "Wow... It's beautiful here!". He felt a pang in his chest at the many memories he had made right here by this lake. With Yui and Asuna. Both in Aincrad and New Aincrad. As well as plenty of memories with his friends.

Pulling him from his thoughts, Yuuki slapped him on the back with enough force to almost send him flying again as she teased "Well, we came here to duel! Not romantically stare at a sunset together...". He laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck and took an appropriate amount of distance from her for the fight. The girl confidently sent over a duel invitation and unsheathed her dark longsword as she grinned "You ready to get your ass kicked again?".

He just chuckled and accepted the invitation before he opened his menu and equipped both his black Unity Vox as well as his second sword, Azure Gleam - a blueish green sword which, like Unity Vox, was forged by their group's blacksmith Lisbeth. He could equip Excalibur instead, but he always felt the somewhat overpowered sword gave him an unfair advantage, and he preferred to only use it to help others instead because of that.

As the timer counting down to the start of the duel neared it's end, he calmly and simultaneously unsheathed both his blades, receiving a shocked look from the girl in response. Before she could say anything, however, the timer hit one second, upon which Kirito shot forward with a wide grin.

Yuuki felt confident she could outsmart him. This time she would soundly defeat him! When he suddenly pulled out not one, but two swords, however... She wasn't sure what to expect. She had never even seen anyone dual-wield, let alone fight anyone doing it. Right before the timer hit zero, he shot towards her, one blade stretched out pointing at her and one trailing behind him.

She only just managed to parry the first strike, but had to jump back to dodge the second. Crap! She had no idea what to expect at all... The first few minutes she did her best to parry and dodge and eventually managed to find a semi-rhythm as she danced around his many and almost effortless strikes. The wide smile never seemed to leave her opponent's face.

Gritting her teeth, not wanting to give him an easy win, she eventually darted over him with all of her speed right as he lunged forward and went on the offensive. Hoping to at least get a single strike in on his unprotected back, she found her blade almost immediately blocked by his pitch black longsword, casually held over his shoulder as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Finally sensing an opening, Yuuki decided to put her all into a simple, yet strong two part Sword Skill with a minimal cooldown period; Horizontal Arc. As her blade shone a bright and dark blue, she took her first slash from left to right. To her shock, however, only a fraction of a second later Kirito's off-hand sword shone a similar dark blue and parried both of her strikes with his own Horizontal Arc. As Yuuki used the last of her available movement before freezing up to jump back as far as she could, her eyes widened in shock.

While she felt her virtual muscles stiffen into place, she could see Kirito's off-hand blade's glow fade as well, but simultaneously the black longsword in his main hand was raised to a position above his shoulder and started to shine a violent light blue... The ensuing Sonic Leap charged right towards her defenseless self, slashing down from her left shoulder to her right hip.

Right as his blade left her body, he felt her muscles starting to relax, before she could retaliate, however, she could just make out a bright red glow coming from... The floor? No.. His foot, which proceeded to arc upwards at an alarming speed, before making contact with her chin, almost sending her flying onto her back. As she stumbled backwards, a little dazed, she just managed to see Kirito deftly flip around in the air and land a meter or ten back, in a defensive position as he finally froze up.

Glancing at her HP bar, she found that single combination was enough to knock her down below half her health, while he was still around 70%... Meanwhile, his teasing smile and the glimmer in his onyx eyes seemed to ask her 'well, is that all you've got?'. After a moment of shock, she felt her signature wide grin spread across her face. Finally... A real challenge! He had been good during their morning duel, but this... This was a new level... Well, then he deserved her best as well!

She dashed forward with all her considerable speed, her sword held in a position at her bottom right. Right before she reached her waiting opponent, she snapped her arm around, placing her sword above her left shoulder. With a bright purple glow her Original Sword Skill, Mother's Rosario charged up. Five lightning fast stabs in a straight line, from top left to bottom right across his chest. Followed by five in the same fashion from top right to bottom left, forming an X-shape, with both third strikes meeting exactly in the center of his chest. The eleventh and final strike she put all of her strength in aiming directly for the center of his chest.

By all accounts, that would have finished any opponent. Somehow, amidst her flurry of stabs too fast for even the superior Medicuboid to adequately visually render, she felt an eerie sensation. If she had hairs in her neck in the virtual world, they would be standing up straight. Only a fraction of a second after having that sensation she noticed the shimmer of small tears in those onyx eyes, a cold sorrow emanating from them as he let out a short and furious battle cry.

Right before her final thrust would have ended the fight there and then, she was nearly blinded by an overwhelming crimson red glow. And to her shock, Kirito's two blades intercepted her charging longsword and slammed it out of the way with a force behind them that made it nigh impossible to hold on to it.

Kirito was amazed by the lightning fast thrusts that had to be part of the Original Sword Skill 'Zekken' had advertised as reward for beating her in a duel. Seeing it in action was enough to confirm the stories they had overheard at the dueling site. It was powerful... His health was being knocked away with each thrust and after the tenth he was in the red... As it so often did during an intense battle, there was a moment of absolute clarity where time seemed to slow down. He saw the eleventh and final thrust coming straight for him.

And he knew he had only one choice to win this duel. The Unique Skill 'Dual-Wielding' from his SAO days wasn't part of ALO, but he had managed to recreate a small number of simple dual wielding Sword Skills with the OSS(Original Sword Skill)-system. Around six months ago, around the anniversary of the tragic deaths of the Moonlit Black Cats, he had poured all of his frustration into a brand new OSS. Sinon, who shared a tragic past of her own, had been a great help in dealing with his traumas.

While she hadn't lived through SAO herself, he always felt the two of them understood each other better than most. After those nightmares she had suggested he do something useful with those pent up emotions. Eventually resulting in this OSS... One that he had never showed anyone, nor ever used since that first time. But he knew this impossibly dangerous final strike could only be countered with it and for some reason... It just felt right to use it now. She had shown all of her skill, all of her talent. Culminating in her legendary Mother's Rosario. It would be fair to respect her enough to do the same.

So, subconsciously letting out a war cry, he slammed his swords down together. A crimson red glow illuminating their battleground. With one mighty diagonal arc from top left to bottom right, he broke through her thrust and knocked her longsword out of the way. In his mind he screamed out 'Ducker!'. Not as if he was visualizing them as his targets, no, but his grief giving him the strength he needed to pull it off. The force he translated into a spin as Yuuki started to freeze up. Coming out of his spin he sliced his two blades along her right hip, all the way up and out her left shoulder, before separating his blades. 'Sasamaru!'.

His left blade continued on to make a deep gash along her throat - 'Tetsuo!'. Whilst his right blade cut clean downwards, separating her left arm from her body just below the shoulder - 'Keita!'. Causing it the shatter into pieces as it fell towards the ground. Pulling back both blades in front of his chest, he lunged forward and stabbed them clean through her throat - 'Sachi!'. Before finally separating them and moving them outwards on either side. Decapitating the shocked and still frozen in place purple-haired imp. Her wide, red eyes stared incredulously at him as her head fell off and landed on the grass, rolling for a few moments before it shattered. The remainder of her heavily damaged body fell backwards, but shattered as well before hitting the ground.

Freezing up, with both blades held with outstretched arms, he closed his eyes and panted. When his muscles gave way again he fell to his knees in front of the the purple Remain Light. The small ethereal flame that represented a dead player. He let go of his swords, landing on the grass with a thud. Slowly he moved a hand up to his face, only to find his cheeks wet with tears he hadn't realized he shed. The final decapitating motion he saw more as punishment for himself, the final and sixth member of the Moonlit Black Cats. The only survivor.

It took him a few moments, but then he cleared his throat and gave an apologetic smile in the direction of the Remain Light, knowing Yuuki could still see him, before he opened his inventory and pulled out a revival item. As it slowly took effect, he fell down on his back on the grass and let out a deep sigh with his eyes closed as memories of the Black Cats came back. Memories of Sachi crying under a bridge, and him making promises he wouldn't be able to keep.

* * *

Yuuki was stunned. Who was this Kirito? He wasn't just the only one who ever managed to at least partially intercept Mother's Rosario in well over forty duels, but also finished her off with a brutal Original Sword Skill of his own... Whilst dual-wielding! While she was a little sad that she had lost, she immediately became excited. She could learn so much from him, get stronger. Better! But as these thoughts ran through her head, she remembered his look as he started his barrage. He was clearly hurting. But why? As her head rolled off her neck, she could see the regret on his face, but it was as if he was staring past her, lost deep in thought. Barely even registering his own devastating motions.

As her virtual body reformed, she blinked a few times and stretched. She looked over at Kirito. He was lying on his back, catching his breath. She jumped up, only to feel a little dizzy, still at low health after that revival. She took a knee and quickly gulped down a healing potion. Before seeing the black haired swordsman absentmindedly take one himself. Also falling on her back, a respectable distance away from the black haired swordsman, she let out a deep sigh.

"That was quite the finishing move" she quietly said as she looked up to the orange-reddish evening sky. It stayed silent for a little while, so she moved her head to face him. His eyes slowly opened and his head turned to face her as well. He gave her a wry chuckle and smile. "First time I used it actually. I guess I made it to work through some old grief on the suggestion of a good friend. And I must admit that I do feel... Lighter now that I've used it. If that makes any sense at all?".

To his surprise, the red eyes of his opponent looked at him with understanding and compassion, instead of confusion. She sighed quietly and said "My own Mother's Rosario I made to... Well, remember my mother. So I think I understand what you mean. What's yours called?".

It took him a few moments, before he quietly replied "Coda of the Black Cats..."._(1)_ As he trailed off in thoughts again, he felt a comforting and warm hand gently covering his own. As he looked up at Yuuki again she gave him a warm smile and softly said "That's a beautiful name". He gave her an appreciative smile, before he put his hands behind his head and leaned on them. Feeling a strange tinge of regret upon feeling the warmth of her hand leave his.

After a little while of them enjoying the warm, last rays of the setting sun, he carefully said "To be honest, I actually asked you to come here to say that I'm sorry for what I said during our duel this morning. I didn't mean to upset or unbalance you, I was just a little surprised when I realized that... that you were probably using one of the experimental Medicuboid units that I just blurted it out without thinking".

It stayed silent for a while, but then she chuckled a little and asked "That's alright. It took me a little off-guard is all, but I do wonder how you realized?".

He hummed in thought for a moment. "Your movements were so elegant and well, seemed to push the limits of what was possible in the virtual world. There are only two ways in which you could have gotten enough experience to move like that. Since the first way would be impossible, I concluded you had to be using a Medicuboid... And for a long time at that".

Curiously she asked him "Why would the first way be impossible?". He couldn't help but chuckle as he sheepishly said "Because that would have meant you gained your experience the same way I did. By being stuck in a virtual world for over two years... In Sword Art Online".

She gasped a little. He just gave her a wry smile and added "In that death game I was 'rewarded' with the Unique Dual-Wielding Skill because I had the fastest reaction time in the game. Honestly it felt more like a curse for most of it. A 'gift' from Kayaba... But in a sense I suppose I should also feel grateful. Because I wouldn't have survived without it. And because... Part of me, a part I try to deny most always, knows I felt more alive there than I had in the real world for a long time. Despite everything I lost along the way...".

He paused for a bit, before he continued on a somewhat lighter tone with a soft chuckle "As for why that would be impossible... If you had been there, you would have been the one to get the Unique Skill, not me. It was clear from the start of our first duel that your reaction time was superior to mine".

They stared up at the sky in silence for a little while, before Yuuki quietly said "Thanks... For sharing that, I mean. I get the sense it's not something you tell to everyone you meet. Although I wouldn't say I'm really faster than you, you did just beat me after all. And you were right, I am using a Medicuboid... Have been continuously for almost three years now".

As he turned his head to look at the girl next to him again, he could see a pained expression on her face. With small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. When she noticed his worried look, however, she blinked them away, replacing her wry grimace with her wide grin "Don't be sad for me! Because of the Medicuboid I've gotten the chance to walk around again, to be free in a sense. To try all kinds of different foods and drinks... To fight and heck, now even fly!".

However grim the situation might be in reality, he couldn't help but softly laugh along with her. Her smile was just infectious. He clapped his hands as he jumped up to his feet "Well then I say we celebrate our virtual existence with as much delicious food as we can manage". As he held out his hand to help the girl up, he thought about where to go for a moment, and then with a smile asked "Ever been to Rovia, on the fourth floor?".

As she accepted the help in getting up with a warm smile she hummed "uhh... I don't think so. I haven't played ALO for too long and me and my friends have mostly been above floor 20 of New Aincrad". He chuckled and sighed happily "Then you're in for a treat!".

Checking his inventory, he realized he was out of teleport crystals. With a sigh he explained he had a stash in his player home not too far from where they were, so they walked over there. Chit chatting a little on the way about aspects of ALO, while Yuuki compared it to other, smaller VRMMOs she and her friends had played before this one.

When they arrived at his log cabin and he stepped up to open the door, it violently flung open as he was tackled to the ground by his daughter, Yui, in her Human form as she cheered "DADDYYY!". Laughing as he managed to get back on his feet while hugging her and shouting "YUUUIIIII!", he eventually carried her into their home. Where he was met by the amused Liz and Silica. As well as a somewhat dozed off Sinon, cutely curled up on one of the couches near the fireplace, who watched them enter with one eye.

"Hey Kirito! We saw you were over by the lake again on our map. What, were you taking another nap?" Liz teased him. But soon after him entered a grinning Yuuki. "Actually, he was just really desperate for a rematch!".

Liz and Silica their mouths fell open as they stared at the girl. Liz almost screeched "You went to fight Zekken-san again!?". Silica incredulously muttered "Without inviting us...?". Kirito just sheepishly laughed as he nervously said "Well I knew you were hunting that rare ingot all the way across the map...".

He just received a cute, heart wrenching pout from the adorable Silica, but Liz scathingly retorted with narrowed eyes and a teasing smirk "I'm sure you got your ass handed to you again?". Before he could say anything however, Yuuki laughed behind him and jumped on top of the side table next to the couch, jolting the girls up, a suddenly wide awake Sinon included.

"Nope! I almost had him with my Mother's Rosario, but then he used his own OSS and went all like this and this...". As she started to enthusiastically do her best rendition of his Coda of the Black Cats OSS, making wooshing sound effects with her mouth she continued "Completely blocking my finishing strike and then bam! He chopped off my arm and just plain brutally decapitated me! Really, if this game had realistic gore, he would probably still be covered in blood!".

Yui was staring at her in amazement while the other girls were frozen in shock at the sudden outburst in front of them. "Woow Daddy, really? That's so cool! Did you recreate any of the dual wielding skills from SAO?". He chuckled a little nervously and quietly said "It's an Original one actually... Coda of the Black Cats".

He did his best to sound casual and calm, but he caught Sinon frowning while shooting him an understanding and worried look. And of course, Yui being Yui... She immediately hugged him tightly and said "Don't be sad Daddy! You won after all, they would've been proud, really!".

Liz, Silica and Yuuki shot him confused and slightly worried looks, but as he just knelt down to return Yui's hug and quietly told her it was alright, Sinon carefully asked him "So how do you feel now?". After a few seconds he got up and let out a deep sigh, while ruffling Yui's hair, to her playful pout and giggle. "Actually... A little better, thanks". Looking at the other three he just waved their concern away and quickly added "Long story... Not really up for telling it right now. Just know I'm doing alright, really".

They seemed to accept it, if somewhat begrudgingly. But all of them realized it was probably SAO related, so they knew better than to pry. "So what are you two doing back here anyway?" Liz carefully asked. He just shrugged "we were going to get some food, seeing how we're pretty drained after that duel. And I just needed to pick up some teleport crystals here".

As he was saying that, he walked over to the storage container in the corner and replenished his personal stock. While making a mental note to buy some more when he had the opportunity. "Can I come too Daddy?" Yui practically begged him. Those cute, innocent eyes staring up at him. It was scary how well she managed to replicate Silica's trademark puppy-dog stare. He chuckled and sighed "Oh Yui... I doubt anyone could say no to that. If you and Silica-chan used those puppy dog eyes a little more, I think ALO would probably stop being a fighting game...".

* * *

Somehow, he found himself in the most expensive restaurant in Rovia, only ten minutes later. Accompanied by Yuuki, Sinon, Silica, Liz and Yui - who had all unanimously agreed that he was treating them. While Silica and Yui their joy, coupled with their cuteness were enough to sway him, it was really Yuuki's enthusiasm at finding Italian dishes in ALO that caused him to ignore the price tags completely. While he didn't know what kind of illness she had, judging by the fact she had been continuously diving for three years now, it wasn't a pretty one. She probably never had the chance to taste a lot of foreign dishes. He was really just glad he could do that for her.

In between the many courses which they happily devoured, they talked about all kinds of things. Yuuki was enthusiastically discussing the forging of a new sword for her with Liz after the latter proudly declared having forged his Unity Vox and Emerald Gleam. Liz ever the businesswoman, saw the perfect opportunity to become the exclusive blacksmith of a suddenly arrived top player, who to Liz her further joy admitted she had gotten her current one as a dungeon boss drop and that she was in need of an upgrade. When Yuuki enthusiastically added that she and her Guild had saved up a lot of money from their questing and all six of them could use upgrades, he could swear he saw dollar signs in the blacksmith's eyes.

"Oh by the way, Yuuki, I was wondering... Did you get a chance to fight Eugene yet?" Kirito grinned. "Ehhh, I don't think so? Although I didn't get everyone's name... There were A LOT of them". Yuuki hummed as she frowned and seemed to dig through her memories, before chuckling "Is he any good?".

Liz just sighed and frowned "Trust me, if you fought Eugene you would know. That guy is so cocky, it's hard to wipe that stain off your memory. He had the guts to say I couldn't forge a blade stronger than Gram, can you believe that!? Not to mention that he tried to kill Kirito here on his second day in ALO!". Silica did her best to calm her friend down, while Kirito could only quietly laugh behind his hand.

Yuuki gave him an inquisitive glance, so he quietly told her "He's really into dueling, and he can get a little intense... But he's actually a really good guy once you get to know him. I've probably fought him around a hundred times by now. I pretty much test all my new things against him, seeing how he is one of the top ALO players and general of the Salamander army".

The girls eyes seemed to sparkle with joy at the thought and pumped her fist into the air as she almost shouted "I'm definitely going to challenge him!". Before she added in a little more reserved tone "Ehh.. Where can I find him?" before sheepishly giggling.

Sinon, who was making sure Yui actually chewed her food before devouring it, absentmindedly said "Well, a lot of people want to duel Eugene... So he doesn't really fight anyone but Kirito here outside of the official tournaments. Has to do with reputation and all".

Upon seeing her sad expression he chuckled and added "I've got an appointment two days from now, you can tag along if you want! I'm sure Eugene won't be able to resist fighting the legendary Zekken". He couldn't help but notice the blush creeping over her face, but she quickly grinned widely and beamed at the idea.

After dinner Yui was a little sleepy and was barely keeping herself awake as they walked towards Rovia's teleport gate. "Daddy... Can I sit in your pocket? I'm getting a little tir- uwaaah". She finished by with the cutest little yawn, resulting in awe's from the girls, and internally, himself as well. Upon his approval, she poofed and transformed into her pixie form, before quickly diving into his chest pocket.

"What the... How... What was that!?" Yuuki asked incredulously. At that point, Kirito realized Yuuki hadn't been properly introduced to Yui yet... So they spent the trip back to the log cabin explaining that, no he wasn't a thirty year old playing in the body of a teenager with his ten year old daughter, nor was Yui technically 'Human', but an incredibly advanced AI he and Asuna had adopted. He had expected her to be confused and find them more than a little weird, but the opposite was true. If Yui hadn't been sleeping, she would probably have enthusiastically bombarded her with question after question.

After putting Yui to bed, the five of them talked for a little while, before one by one Silica, Sinon and Liz said goodnight and logged out. Leaving only Kirito and Yuuki, still enjoying some warm tea. "So why were you dueling dozens of players in a row anyway?" he eventually chuckled.

She stretched a little as she yawned. He couldn't help but think for a moment how cute she looked when she did. Before she smiled and said "Well, I try to live every day to the fullest! And me and my friends want to leave a mark on this world, something that shows we were here. That I was here... you know? So we wanted to beat a Floor Boss with just our party, so all of our names are inscribed in the monument in the Black Iron Palace. But the last few tries failed, and before we could try again, a big Guild kept swooping in and defeating the Boss. And we're still one person short for a full party...".

The hopeful look she shot him confused him for a second, but then he asked "Oh, you want me to help you with that? A-are you sure?". The girl just nodded enthusiastically and added "You're the strongest player I've faced in... I think 43 duels. And the only one I needed to use Mother's Rosario on, never mind managing to beat me, hehe".

He thought about it for a moment and then chuckled "Alright, I suppose I've done crazier things. Sounds like fun, count me in!". She shot him a grateful look as she opened her menu and shot a few messages to her friends, telling them she would bring someone over to meet them the next day.

As their conversation fell silent after a while, he could tell the purple haired girl was struggling to say something. "Something wrong?" he calmly asked. She looked at his eyes and he could clearly see sadness in them as she quietly started. "I really had fun today, Kirito... And I'm looking forward to fighting that Floor Boss with you, but...".

He calmly waited as she took a few deep breaths before she continued "Since you already figured out I'm in a Medicuboid, I should just tell you right away. I don't think we should keep hanging out after the Boss fight, it'll only be painful for you...".

He had some trouble wrapping his mind around what she was saying. Carefully he tried "What do you mean? Why not? I had a lot of fun with you. And I know we only met today, but I did get the sense we could be friends".

She gave him a wry smile as she silently continued "I... My condition is stable. For now... But the doctors told me that i-if I relapsed again, the medication probably won't be enough to help me bounce back this time. I don't know how long I've got left, Kirito. It's just cruel to make new friends knowing that they'll just get hurt!".

Yuuki had really enjoyed her time with Kirito. And he seemed to understand her, so she thought it best to just be up front from the start. He was kind... There was no need to string him along and hurt him further. He would probably understand. After having said her piece, she had stood up and taken out a teleport crystal, intending to just take some time. Before she could say a teleport destination, however, she was startled by a sudden warmth.

As she felt his warm arms gently embracing her, she let out a sigh she hadn't realized she had been holding in. As she leaned into the hug, she couldn't help but be confused and quietly ask "Why are you stopping me?". She cursed internally at how it sounded more like sobs than an actual question, but he just told her "Because you're an idiot, Yuuki".

A little shocked, and more confused than anything else, she carefully asked "W-what?". She heard him chuckle wryly "I know it's not the same, I do... But I was a solo player in SAO. And while I told myself plenty of reasons why I stayed a solo player, the truth was I was just afraid of getting close to others because they could die any day, without warning. Like... Like Sachi, and the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats".

She gasped a little in his arms "Your OSS...". She felt him nod as he gently stroked her hair. "They died in front of me, and there was nothing I could do... And while it still hurts, almost unbearably so, I am truly glad that I got the chance to meet them. If there's anything I've learned from my friends, it's that closing yourself off isn't a noble thing to do. You're just... preventing others from making happy memories before you're gone".

She wasn't sure what to say to that, but she felt her tears slowly staining his chest. After having calmed down a little while later, they broke up their hug. Kirito put his hands on her shoulders and looked intently at her. His onyx eyes were serious, but she could see a comforting smile on his lips as he gently said "I won't force you to be friends with me, but I'm confident that... If that time comes, I'll be glad to have known you, Yuuki".

As she averted her gaze from his honest eyes, she softly muttered "Thanks, Kirito... Really. But.. I... I just don't know..". She just heard him chuckle. "I understand. For now, at least until after the Boss Fight, let's just take it one day at a time. And if you still feel the same way when it's all said and done, I'll respect your choice. Alright?".

Even though she could still feel the tears on her cheeks, she couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him again. He was so kind. Nothing like she had expected when they first met... "Alright, it's a deal" she softly laughed. He patted her on her head, which felt oddly comforting. Not much later the both of them logged off, intent on getting some rest. But not before agreeing to meet up the next day to meet with the other Sleeping Knights.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

1\. 'Coda of the Black Cats' - six part Sword Skill that's not canon. I felt like Kirito would be enthralled by the OSS-system and would probably have created more of them than the LNs or Anime showed. 'Coda' refers to the tail, or end of a music piece. In this case it refers to his strong regret and emotions over the loss of his first Guild.

2\. I never liked the idea that the remaining members of the Sleeping Knight would just disband and wither away in solitude if another member died. Seems to go against the whole idea of their Guild. Sure, they have suffered losses that weigh heavily on their hearts, but they all seemed to want to live their lives to the fullest, following Yuuki's example.

0\. In the canon version of this Arc, Kirito leaves Yuuki be after their duel. Several days later Asuna returns from her family trip away from modern comforts and faces off against Zekken herself. It just didn't feel right to me that Kirito, who throughout all Arcs seemed to be able to always notice when someone was in trouble or had an issue (apart from the girls their love interest in him, obviously), would just walk away from a desperately dueling girl who he assumed must've been battling with a terrible illness. While resuming his lazing, untroubled life without issue. Can anyone really say that's the same Kirito that figured out he had to give a practical reason to Asuna after having saved her from that first floor labyrinth, as she didn't seem to care about her own life anymore? Or the Kirito that did his best to become Sinon's friend in the real world after realizing how lonely she was? Nope. Add in my own personal growing frustration in regards to Asuna's character development, or lack thereof, and there we have the basic idea for this story!


End file.
